YORK students are being urged to sort out their council tax situation before it is too late, or they could end up facing a hefty tax bill.

The warning comes after a former York College student told of the £1,000 council tax bill she has been saddled with, six years after she graduated.

Fiona Coleman, 30, obtained an HND in graphic design at York College in 1998. For two years, she shared rented accommodation in Cameron Grove, South Bank.

Fiona and her flatmates did not pay council tax, assuming that as they were students, they were not liable. But they didn't know that unless they obtained a certificate of exemption to prove they were students, they would be expected to pay.

"I feel really powerless about this, and I just don't know what anyone can do to help. If I don't pay, I could end up in court," said Fiona, who now works as a graphic designer for Big Media & Publications in Leeds.

Fiona, who now lives in Albemarle Road, is the only one of her former flatmates that City of York Council has been able to trace, meaning that she is liable to pay the full bill herself.

York College's student welfare adviser, Paul Davis, said it was in every student's interests to get their certificate of exemption signed and sent off.

He said: "All full-time students are eligible for the certificate - they just need to come to student services and we'll produce one for them. My message to students who may be unsure about whether or not to bother is that liability for council tax can be quite painful, but getting an exemption certificate is painless, so please do it."

Meanwhile, a council spokeswoman expressed regret that Fiona's situation had arisen, but emphasised that it had been up to her to organise her exemption certificate.

"Students are only able to claim Council Tax exemption if they provide the local authority with a certificate to prove that they are in full time study.

"Unfortunately Ms Coleman did not send an exemption certificate during her time as a student and was therefore liable to pay the full amount of Council Tax.

"We would urge all students to provide the necessary paperwork as soon as

possible to ensure that they are not left with additional debts when they

leave college," she said.

Updated: 08:37 Tuesday, October 26, 2004